Mixed material separator



Nov; 27, 1945.

J. A. ERICKSON 2,389,966

MIXED MATERIAL SEPARATOR Filed'Nov. 7, 1942 3 mam tow JUHN A EE'IEI5UN Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE MIXED MATERIAL SEPARATOR John A. Erickson, Jackson, Mich. Application November '1, 1942, Serial No. 464,888 I i 3 Claims. (01. 209-25) The present invention relates to separators and more particularly to separatorsfor separating particles of coal of different sizes from coal slack or fines.

In the separation of particles of coal from coal slack or fines, particular difficulty is encountered when the particles are between about ,4," and A" in diameter. The separation difllculty is materially increased whenthe coal is damp or wet, which it usually is if stored on a dock or in a storage yard. At the present time this separation is accomplished by means of washing the coal through screens. When this process is used, the cost of dewatering the coal is frequently. substantial.

According to the present invention the separation of coal fines or slack of the character described has been accomplished by a combination of an air blast blowing the material to be separated against vertical screens in an airtight chamber arranged so that no air can leave the chamber except through an outlet which has associated with it a cyclone dust collector. The blowers for creating the air blast are vertically arranged and spaced, and a thin stream of coal is made to fall in front of the blowers so that it is blown laterally into engagement with the screens which eilect the separation. A shelf in front of each blower breaks the fall of the material as it drops and helps to separate the particles thereof.

An object of the present invention is to separate material of mixed sizes into various sizes by presenting material into a thin falling stream in front of laterally directed blowers having associated therewith separators which are laterally spaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide the material is cascaded over shelves associated with blowers.

These and other objects residing in the arrangement, combination and construction of the parts will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the drawing illustrating a. diagrammatic vertical section of the invention having sections of the structure broken out to reduce the size of the drawing.

In the drawing the reference character I indicates a hopper for receiving the material of mixed sizes such as coal, slack or fines. The hopper is arranged to discharge the material therefrom onto an endless belt 2 driven by a motor or its equivalent, not shown. The outlet of the hopper i and belt 2 are arranged in an air-tight chamber 3 provided with an outletA.

Associated with the chamber 3 are a plurality of blowers 4, 5 and 6. The blowers d, 5 and 6 are vertically aligned and spaced, and have outlets 1, 8 and 9 respectively, directed into the chamber 3. Associated with the outlets l and 8 are shelves 9' and I0 respectively. The shelf 9' is arranged directly below the discharge from the conveyor belt 2 so that as the conveyor belt 2 is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, the mixed material falls in a. stream onto the shelf 9'. The blower t blows the mixed material from the shelf Qflblowing it laterally against a portion i l of an upwardly extending screen it. The part of the material which does not pass through the screen it falls to the shelf M), which is staggered outwardly from beneath the discharge of the shelf 9', so as to receive material falling from the screen portion Ill. The blower 5 in turn blows the material laterally from the shelf it against the screen portion it of the screen Hi. It is to be noted'that the screen portion M is disposed over the shelf it so that material blown from the shelf 9' and not passing through the screen position to fall onto the is to separate the material blown laterally by the blowers t, 5 and 6. To accomplish the desired separating the screen I5, which is closest to the blowers t, it and t, is the coarsest, and the screen 'spacebetween the screen It and the wall is of the chamber 3 is a collecting hopper 20. The

hoppers l1, I8 and 20 are provided with closure members 2l,'22 and 23, which may be actuated to permit the gravity flow of material in the respective hoppers therefrom The outlet 4 of the chamber 3 is arranged adjacent the top of the chamber 3, and has associated therewith a cyclone separator 24 which may be of any conventional form, The separator 24 has a collector 25 associated therewith into which dust falls upon being separated from the air escaping from the outlet 4'. Clean air escapes from the top 26 of the separator 24, A closure member 21 is provided in the collector 25 which may be opened to withdraw dust from the collector 25.

In operation the material from the hopper l is conducted bythe conveyor 2 to the end thereof, from which it drops in a falling stream onto the shelf From there it is blown by the blower 4 against the screen portion H. The part of the material which does not pass through the screen portion ll drops onto the shelf ID, The material from the shelf I is blown by the blower 6 against a laterally oiiset screen portion l2. The laterally ofiset portion l2 of the screen I5 permits the shelf I0 to be under the screen portion H so as to receive material falling from the latter, The part of that portion of the material which does not pass through the screen portion l2 falls into the hopper l1. However, as the material falls from the screen portion l2, it is subjected to a stream of air from the blower 6 which removes from the material falling to the hopper ii, any particles small enough to pass through the screen l5. As the material drops on the shelves 9' and I0, particles thereof which have adhered together, due to moisture or some other reason, become separated, and the separating is further accomplished by the blast of air from the blowers 4 and 5 and by the impact of the blown material against the screens l5 and i6. After particles of material pass through the In the foregoing specification, there are described three blowers, two shelves associated with the first two blowers, and two separating screens. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular number of blowers or screens.

Having thus described m invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. A separator for materials containing large and small cohered particles comprising a blower for providing a laterally directed stream of air, a substantially horizontal shelf adjacent said blower and across which said blower directs its stream of air, means to drop a stream of material onto said shelf to subject the same to a material particle separating impact, and screening and impact means in the path of said air stream forseparating and breaking up the cohered large and small material particles blown into relationship with the same.

2. A separator for materials containing large and small cohered particles comprising a blower for providing a laterally directed stream of air, a substantially horizontal shelf adjacent said blower and across which said blower directs its stream of air, means to drop a stream of material onto said shelf to subject the same to a material particle separating impact, a screen in the path of said air stream for separating material particles blown into relationship with the same, the finer particles passing through said screen and the larger particles dropping from said screen, a second shelf beneath said screen for screen I5 the air blast from the blowers 4, 5 and screen, a second blower associated with said second shelf for blowing a stream of air across said second shelf, and a second screen portion' in the path of the air stream from said second blower for separating material particles blown into relationship with the same.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said screens are close enough to their respective shelves to cause material particles blown thereagainst to receive a material particle separating impact.

JOHN A. ERICKSON. 

